Together
by Shadowdragon8902
Summary: Hermione has a secret that only two people know, but one of them doesn't remember. Her love forces her to remind the other person. How will he react? Will he accept her, or cast her out of his life?


Summary: Hermione has a secret that only two people know, but one of them doesn't remember. Her love forces her to remind the other person. How will he react? Will he accept her, or cast her out of his life?  
  
Disclaimer: The characters in this story were created by J. K. Rowling. All characters totally and completely belong to her. I'm just using them for entertainment purposes (duh).  
  
Together  
  
In the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, 12 Grimmauld Place, London.  
She entered the small shabby room. She swallowed, forcing her fear down, and cautiously, tentatively, she called out.  
"Professor? Professor Lupin?" "Yes? Is something wrong, Hermione? What's going on?" He turned and looked at her. Apparently her face showed her distress, because he said "Would you like to talk to me? Come, have a seat. I'll listen to you; you needn't be afraid. And whatever it is, we'll fix it." She cautiously walked across the room, and sat down in the armchair that was directly across from the one that he had just taken. I hope that I am done before nightfall. If this doesn't work out, I must be gone by moonrise... She sat there, biting back her nervousness, and worry, and hope. She didn't say a word until she heard him say, "Well, go ahead, I'm listening. Unless you've changed your mind..." "No! It's just hard to start, that's all. Don't stop me, please." At his nod, she took a long, shuddering breath, and began. "Professor, do you remember-" "I told you to call me Remus some time ago." "I know, but it doesn't seem right. But... I'll try." "Any way, Profess- I mean, Remus, do you remember the time that you found us in the Shrieking Shack, when Harry was going to kill Sirius? And how I told the boys that you were a werewolf?" "Yes. I remember that day well." "Well, do you also remember the day during fifth year, when you came back to talk to Professor Dumbledore, in his hideout in the Forest? I followed you that day- not realizing that I didn't know the whole truth. "The moon rose while I waited. You changed, becoming less and less human, and more and more beastly. You charged towards Professor Dumbledore. I wasn't thinking, at first, when I ran out in front of Professor Dumbledore .I wanted to save him, at first. "You kept running right at us, and I stood there. I loved you so much that I couldn't let you live a tortured life... "At least not alone." She stopped and tried to find the words to explain her feelings. While she was talking, she saw that he had sunk into a thoughtful, solemn state. When she started to talk again, he looked up at her, completely entranced by her story. "I called out to you. You looked confused, and puzzled. You must've been confused by my stillness. I called out to you again, and you resumed your reckless charge. "I heard a shout from behind me. 'Miss Granger, run!' yelled Professor Dumbledore. I wouldn't. 'You have to move so that I can save us both!' He cried, trying to convince me to leave him to deal with you. But my mind was made up. I couldn't leave you to live alone any longer. I turned to look at him, and then you struck. "You had already started leaping as I turned. You hit my back, knocking me flat onto the ground. I didn't fight to get away, or indeed, even move at all, but to throw my arms around you. Then your fangs were embedded in my shoulder. Your claws were ripping me apart. I screamed as my body tried to change, to become wolf-like, but I was losing too much blood. I knew that I was dying there, under the moonlight; at least I would die loved in your arms. "Suddenly, the moon was gone. We were enclosed in some sort of dome, without any light except for wandlight. Professor Dumbledore had left his wand lit, but he himself was gone. "You became yourself again, the man called Remus Lupin. You saw that you had found me in your attempt on Professor Dumbledore, and with a cry, you carefully took my hands. You asked me why I had tried to stop you. Professor Dumbledore could have taken care of himself, you told me. So why had I done it? "And so, with my fading voice, I told you that I had stopped you because I loved you, and couldn't bear for you to be alone. I told you that I wanted to be with you forever; that I loved you more than anything else in the world." She stopped talking, letting him absorb what she had just told him. She saw a multitude of expressions pass over his face- sorrow, anger, guilt, and more stunningly, love and tenderness. "Why? Why go through all of that, just for me? Why, for an old werewolf?" She could hear guilt running through his tone, and saw it painted all over his beautiful face. "Because I... well, I loved you. And... well... I still do. "But let me finish the story. I knew, as well as you did, that I was dying. Professor Dumbledore had gone for help, I suppose. So it was just the two of us there, and both of us were werewolves; both of us were safe. "And all that I know from there, at least until I woke up again, is that you were always with me. I felt your hands, holding my broken ones; I felt your lips kissing my forehead again and again. I heard your voice, pleading with me to hang in there for a few more minutes; I heard your song, echoing mournfully through the night. "And then, I woke, to find myself in the Hospital Wing. You were gone, out there in the night. Professor Dumbledore told me that I had only been there for a few hours, that I would be fine. He told me that it was only about four thirty in the morning, and that they had just taken off their stunning spells, since the moon had just gone down. If I were to hurry, he said that I could make it back to the dormitories before anyone noticed I was gone "But then, he hit me with a piece of terrible news. He said that he had removed your memories of the entire evening. He gave them to me, however, so that I could give them back to you when the time was right. "Do you want them back?" "Yes... yes, I would like that." She held her wand up to her forehead. Something was shimmering there, in the growing gloom. When she drew her wand away, she saw the familiar ball of amber-colored light balanced on its tip. It was about the size of a golf ball. Then she walked over to him, and, looking into his beautiful blue-grey eyes, placed the wand tip against his forehead. With a sudden flash, it disappeared. She threw her wand down, and took his hand gently as his eyes closed. She sank to her knees on the soft carpet in front of him, and still holding his hands, waited as his emotions from that night flooded across his face. She laid her head on his lap, and closed her eyes, waiting. She waited, there, for an infinite amount of time, until she felt his hands, tentatively running his hands through her hair. She looked up at him, hope beating painfully through her heart as she saw the knowledge enter his eyes, those two matching, blue-grey, beautiful eyes that melted her soul. He looked at her, and said "Hermione, I've- I've got a confession to make, too. I've loved you since I first met you. You were so kind, so intelligent, so compassionate... So different and accepting from everyone else... And that you could suffer through so much for me..." "Then... do you love me?" Hope was devouring her heart, making her tremble. "Yes. And I always will." "And I you." He leaned towards her, and she towards him. Their fingers tangled in each others' hair, and they kissed. Passionate heat rose in their bodies as they kissed again and again. Hermione sent the door flying shut with a kick, and then she abandoned herself to the passion the she had created in the dusky room. Some time later, she rose from the tangle of limbs on the bed. She opened the shutters, and saw that the moon was about to rise. She called to her lover, and they both exited the room. While they were on their way outside, her love said, "Now it is time to experience our world the way that you should- with someone who loves you." "Well, then," she replied, "Let us go. Together."  
  
The moon rose, and the night was warm. There was no movement, except for the silhouettes of the two werewolves prowling the night. The wind blew, and the leaves rustled, and they were gone. The only sounds in the night were the sounds of two intertwined voices, intertwined in a howling song. 


End file.
